Semiconductor device packages with electromagnetic interference shielding

ABSTRACT

Described herein are semiconductor device packages with EMI shielding and related methods. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device package includes: (1) a substrate unit including a grounding element; (2) a semiconductor device disposed adjacent to an upper surface of the substrate unit; (3) a package body disposed adjacent to the upper surface of the substrate unit and covering the semiconductor device; and (4) an EMI shield disposed adjacent to exterior surfaces of the package body and electrically connected to a connection surface of the grounding element. A lateral surface of the package body is substantially aligned with a lateral surface of the substrate unit, and the connection surface of the grounding element is electrically exposed adjacent to the lateral surface of the substrate unit. The grounding element corresponds to a remnant of an internal grounding via, and provides an electrical pathway to ground electromagnetic emissions incident upon the EMI shield.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 12/336,400, filed on Dec. 16, 2008, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/006,894, filed on Feb. 5, 2008,and the benefit of Taiwan Application Serial No. 97115985, filed on Apr.30, 2008, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by referencein their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to semiconductor device packages. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to semiconductor device packageswith electromagnetic interference shielding.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor devices have become progressively more complex, driven atleast in part by the demand for enhanced processing speeds and smallersizes. While the benefits of enhanced processing speeds and smallersizes are apparent, these characteristics of semiconductor devices alsocan create problems. In particular, higher clock speeds can involve morefrequent transitions between signal levels, which, in turn, can lead toa higher level of electromagnetic emissions at higher frequencies orshorter wavelengths. Electromagnetic emissions can radiate from a sourcesemiconductor device, and can be incident upon neighboring semiconductordevices. If the level of electromagnetic emissions at a neighboringsemiconductor device is sufficiently high, these emissions can adverselyaffect the operation of that semiconductor device. This phenomenon issometimes referred to as electromagnetic interference (“EMI”). Smallersizes of semiconductor devices can exacerbate EMI by providing a higherdensity of those semiconductor devices within an overall electronicsystem, and, thus, a higher level of undesired electromagnetic emissionsat a neighboring semiconductor device.

One way to reduce EMI is to shield a set of semiconductor devices withina semiconductor device package. In particular, shielding can beaccomplished by including an electrically conductive casing or housingthat is electrically grounded and is secured to an exterior of thepackage. When electromagnetic emissions from an interior of the packagestrike an inner surface of the casing, at least a portion of theseemissions can be electrically shorted, thereby reducing the level ofemissions that can pass through the casing and adversely affectneighboring semiconductor devices. Similarly, when electromagneticemissions from a neighboring semiconductor device strike an outersurface of the casing, a similar electrical shorting can occur to reduceEMI of semiconductor devices within the package.

While an electrically conductive casing can reduce EMI, the use of thecasing can suffer from a number of disadvantages. In particular, thecasing is typically secured to an exterior of a semiconductor devicepackage by an adhesive. Unfortunately, the casing can be prone topeeling or falling off, since binding characteristics of the adhesivecan be adversely affected by temperature, humidity. and otherenvironmental conditions. Also, when securing the casing to the package,the size and shape of the casing and the size and shape of the packageshould match within relatively small tolerance levels. This matching ofsizes and shapes and associated precision in relative positioning of thecasing and the package can render manufacturing operations costly andtime consuming. Because of this matching of sizes and shapes, it alsofollows that semiconductor device packages of different sizes and shapescan require different casings. which can further increase manufacturingcost and time to accommodate the different packages.

It is against this background that a need arose to develop thesemiconductor device packages and related methods described herein.

SUMMARY

One aspect of the invention relates to semiconductor device packageswith EMI shielding. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device packageincludes: (1) a substrate unit including (a) an upper surface, (b) alower surface, (c) a lateral surface disposed adjacent to a periphery ofthe substrate unit and extending between the upper surface and the lowersurface of the substrate unit, the lateral surface of the substrate unitbeing substantially planar, and (d) a grounding element disposedadjacent to the periphery of the substrate unit, the grounding elementcorresponding to a remnant of an internal grounding via and including aconnection surface that is electrically exposed adjacent to the lateralsurface of the substrate unit; (2) a semi-conductor device disposedadjacent to the upper surface of the substrate unit and electricallyconnected to the substrate unit; (3) a package body disposed adjacent tothe upper surface of the substrate unit and covering the semiconductordevice, the package body including exterior surfaces that include alateral surface, the lateral surface of the package body beingsubstantially aligned with the lateral surface of the substrate unit;and (4) an EMI shield disposed adjacent to the exterior surfaces of thepackage body and electrically connected to the connection surface of thegrounding element. The grounding element provides an electrical pathwayto ground electromagnetic emissions incident upon the EMI shield.

In another embodiment, the semiconductor device package includes: (1) asubstrate unit including (a) a first surface, (b) a second opposingsurface, (c) an electrically conductive layer disposed between the firstsurface and the second opposing surface of the substrate unit, and (d) agrounding element extending between the electrically conductive layerand the second opposing surface of the substrate unit, the groundingelement including a lateral surface disposed adjacent to a periphery ofthe substrate unit; (2) a semiconductor device disposed adjacent to thefirst surface of the substrate unit and electrically connected to thesubstrate unit; (3) a package body disposed adjacent to the firstsurface of the substrate unit and covering the semiconductor device, thepackage body including exterior surfaces; and (4) an EMI shield disposedadjacent to the exterior surfaces of the package body and electricallyconnected to the lateral surface of the grounding element. A lateralprofile of the semiconductor device package is substantially planar andis substantially orthogonal with respect to the second opposing surfaceof the substrate unit.

Another aspect of the invention relates to methods of formingsemiconductor device packages with EMI shielding. In one embodiment, amethod includes: (1) providing a substrate including (a) an uppersurface, (b) a lower surface, and (c) grounding vias partially extendingbetween the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate, suchthat a height of each of the grounding vias is less than a thickness ofthe substrate; (2) electrically connecting a semiconductor device to theupper surface of the substrate; (3) applying a molding material to theupper surface of the substrate to form a molded structure covering thesemiconductor device; (4) forming cutting slits extending through themolded structure and the substrate, and the cutting slits are alignedwith the substrate, such that: (a) the substrate is sub-divided to forma substrate unit; (b) the molded structure is sub-divided to form apackage body disposed adjacent to the substrate unit, the package bodyincluding exterior surfaces; and (c) remnants of the grounding viascorrespond to grounding elements disposed adjacent to a periphery of thesubstrate unit, each of the grounding elements including an exposedconnection surface; and (5) applying an EMI coating to the exteriorsurfaces of the package body and the connection surfaces of thegrounding elements to form an EMI shield.

Other aspects and embodiments of the invention are also contemplated.The foregoing summary and the following detailed description are notmeant to restrict the invention to any particular embodiment but aremerely meant to describe some embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the nature and objects of some embodimentsof the invention, reference should be made to the following detaileddescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In thedrawings, like reference numbers denote like elements, unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a semiconductor device packageimplemented in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor devicepackage of FIG. 1, taken along line A-A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an enlarged, cross-sectional view of a portion of thesemiconductor device package of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicepackage implemented in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicepackage implemented in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 4C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicepackage implemented in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5A through FIG. 5E illustrate a method of forming the semiconductordevice package of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method of forming the semiconductor device packageof FIG. 4A, according to another embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Definitions

The following definitions apply to some of the aspects described withrespect to some embodiments of the invention. These definitions maylikewise be expanded upon herein.

As used herein, the singular terms “a,” “an,” and “the” include pluralreferents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, forexample, reference to a grounding element can include multiple groundingelements unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

As used herein, the term “set” refers to a collection of one or morecomponents. Thus, for example, a set of layers can include a singlelayer or multiple layers. Components of a set also can be referred to asmembers of the set. Components of a set can be the same or different. Insome instances, components of a set can share one or more commoncharacteristics.

As used herein, the term “adjacent” refers to being near or adjoining.Adjacent components can be spaced apart from one another or can be inactual or direct contact with one another. In some instances, adjacentcomponents can be connected to one another or can be formed integrallywith one another.

As used herein, the terms “inner,” “interior,” “outer,” “exterior,”“upper,” “upwardly,” “lower,” “downwardly,” “vertical,” “vertically,”“lateral,” “laterally,” “above,” and “below” refer to a relativeorientation of a set of components, such as in accordance with thedrawings, but do not require a particular orientation of thosecomponents during manufacturing or use.

As used herein, the terms “connect,” “connected,” and “connection” referto an operational coupling or linking. Connected components can bedirectly coupled to one another or can be indirectly coupled to oneanother, such as via another set of components.

As used herein, the terms “substantially” and “substantial” refer to aconsiderable degree or extent. When used in conjunction with an event orcircumstance, the terms can refer to instances in which the event orcircumstance occurs precisely as well as instances in which the event orcircumstance occurs to a close approximation, such as accounting fortypical tolerance levels of the manufacturing operations describedherein.

As used herein, the terms “electrically conductive” and “electricalconductivity” refer to an ability to transport an electric current.Electrically conductive materials typically correspond to thosematerials that exhibit little or no opposition to flow of an electriccurrent. One measure of electrical conductivity is in terms of Siemensper meter (“S·m⁻¹”). Typically, an electrically conductive material isone having a conductivity greater than about 10⁴ S·m⁻¹such as at leastabout 10⁵ S·m⁻¹ or at least about 10⁶ S·m⁻¹. Electrical conductivity ofa material can sometimes vary with temperature. Unless otherwisespecified, electrical conductivity of a material is defined at roomtemperature.

Attention first turns to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, which illustrate asemiconductor device package 100 implemented in accordance with anembodiment of the invention. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates aperspective view of the package 100, while FIG. 2 illustrates across-sectional view of the package 100, taken along line A-A of FIG. 1.

In the illustrated embodiment, sides of the package 100 aresubstantially planar and have a substantially orthogonal orientation soas to define a lateral profile that extends around substantially anentire periphery of the package 100. Advantageously, this orthogonallateral profile allows a reduced overall package size by reducing orminimizing a footprint area of the package 100. However, it iscontemplated that the lateral profile of the package 100, in general,can be any of a number of shapes, such as curved, inclined, stepped, orroughly textured.

Referring to FIG. 2, the package 100 includes a substrate unit 102,which includes an upper surface 104, a lower surface 106, and lateralsurfaces 142 and 144 disposed adjacent to sides of the substrate unit102 and extending between the upper surface 104 and the lower surface106. In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral surfaces 142 and 144 aresubstantially planar and have a substantially orthogonal orientationwith respect to the upper surface 104 or the lower surface 106, althoughit is contemplated that the shapes and orientations of the lateralsurfaces 142 and 144 can vary for other implementations. The substrateunit 102 can be implemented in a number of ways, and includes electricalinterconnect to provide electrical pathways between the upper surface104 and the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit 102. The electricalinterconnect can include, for example, a set of electrically conductivelayers that are incorporated within a set of dielectric layers. Theelectrically conductive layers can be connected to one another byinternal vias, and can be implemented so as to sandwich a core formedfrom a suitable resin, such as one based on bismaleimide and triazine orbased on epoxy and polyphenylene oxide. For example, the substrate unit102 can include a substantially slab-shaped core that is sandwiched byone set of electrically conductive layers disposed adjacent to an uppersurface of the core and another set of electrically conductive layersdisposed adjacent to a lower surface of the core. For certainimplementations, a thickness of the substrate unit 102, namely adistance between the upper surface 104 and the lower surface 106 of thesubstrate unit 102, can be in the range of about 0.1 millimeter (“mm”)to about 2 mm, such as from about 0.2 mm to about 1.5 mm or from about0.4 mm to about 0.6 mm. While not illustrated in FIG. 2, it iscontemplated that a solder mask layer can be disposed adjacent toeither, or both, the upper surface 104 and the lower surface 106 of thesubstrate unit 102.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the substrate unit 102 includes groundingelements 118 a and 118 b, which are disposed adjacent to a periphery ofthe substrate unit 102. More particularly, the grounding elements 118 aand 11 8 b are disposed substantially at the periphery of the substrateunit 102, and are disposed adjacent to the lateral surfaces 142 and 144,respectively. The grounding elements 118 a and 118 b are connected toother electrical interconnect included in the substrate unit 102 and, asfurther described below, provide electrical pathways to reduce EMI. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the grounding elements 118 a and 118 b areimplemented as grounding vias and, more particularly. as remnants ofgrounding vias in accordance with a set of singulation operations asfurther described below. Referring to FIG. 2, each of the groundingelements 118 a and 118 b includes an upper via pad remnant 146 a or 146b, which is disposed adjacent to the upper surface 104 of the substrateunit 102, a lower via pad remnant 148 a or 148 b, which is disposedadjacent to the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit 102, and aplated channel remnant 150 a or 150 b, which extends between the uppervia pad remnant 146 a or 146 b and the lower via pad remnant 148 a or148 b. While the grounding elements 118 a and 118 b are illustrated asfully extending between the upper surface 104 and the lower surface 106of the substrate unit 102, it is contemplated that the extent of thegrounding elements 118 a and 118 b can vary for other implementations.

Still referring to FIG. 2, the grounding elements 118 a and 118 binclude connection surfaces S1 and S2, respectively, which are lateralsurfaces that face away from an interior of the package 100 and aredisposed adjacent to the periphery of the substrate unit 102. Moreparticularly, the connection surfaces S1 and S2 are electrically exposedsubstantially at the periphery of the substrate unit 102, and areelectrically exposed adjacent to the lateral surfaces 142 and 144,respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, the connection surfaces S1and S2 correspond to electrically exposed surfaces of the upper via padremnants 146 a and 146 b, the lower via pad remnants 148 a and 148 b,and the plated channel remnants 150 a and 150 b, Advantageously, therelatively large areas of the connection surfaces S1 and S2 can enhancereliability and efficiency of electrical connections for reducing EMI.The grounding elements 118 a and 118 b are formed from a metal, a metalalloy, a matrix with a metal or a metal alloy dispersed therein, oranother suitable electrically conductive material. For certainimplementations, a height H₁ of the grounding elements 118 a and 118 b,namely a vertical extent of the grounding elements 118 a and 118 b, canbe substantially the same as the thickness of the substrate unit 102,and can be in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 2 mm, such as fromabout 0.2 mm to about 1.5 mm or from about 0.4 mm to about 0.6 mm. Awidth W₁ of the grounding elements 118 a and 118 b, namely a lateralextent adjacent to the upper surface 104 or the lower surface 106, canbe in the range of about 75 micrometer (“μm”) to about 275 μm, such asfrom about 100 μm to about 250 μm or from about 125 μm to about 225 μm.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the package 100 also includes semiconductordevices 108 a, 108 b, and 108 c, which are disposed adjacent to theupper surface 104 of the substrate unit 102, and electrical contacts 110a, 110 b, and 110 c, which are disposed adjacent to the lower surface106 of the substrate unit 102. The semiconductor device 108 b iswire-bonded to the substrate unit 102 via a set of wires 112, which areformed from gold or another suitable electrically conductive material,and the semiconductor devices 108 a and 108 c are surface mounted to thesubstrate unit 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the semiconductordevice 108 b is a semiconductor chip, while the semiconductor devices108 a and 108 c are passive devices, such as resistors, capacitors, orinductors. The electrical contacts 110 a, 110 b, and 110 c provide inputand output electrical connections for the package 100, and at least asubset of the electrical contacts 110 a, 110 b, and 110 c areelectrically connected to the semiconductor devices 108 a, 108 b, and108 c via electrical interconnect included in the substrate unit 102. Inthe illustrated embodiment, at least one of the electrical contacts 110a, 110 b, and 110 c is a wound electrical contact, and is electricallyconnected to the grounding elements 118 a and 118 b via electricalinterconnect included in the substrate unit 102. While threesemiconductor devices are illustrated in FIG. 2, it is contemplated thatmore or less semiconductor devices can be included for otherimplementations, and that semiconductor devices, in general, can be anyactive devices, any passive devices, or combinations thereof. It is alsocontemplated that the number of electrical contacts can vary from thatillustrated in FIG. 2.

Still referring to FIG. 2, the package 100 also includes a package body114 that is disposed adjacent to the upper surface 104 of the substrateunit 102. In conjunction with the substrate unit 102, the package body114 substantially covers or encapsulates the wounding elements 118 a and118 b, the semiconductor devices 108 a, 108 b, and 108 c, and the wires112 to provide mechanical stability as well as protection againstoxidation, humidity, and other environmental conditions. The packagebody 114 is formed from a molding material, and includes exteriorsurfaces, including lateral surfaces 120 and 122 disposed adjacent tosides of the package body 114. In the illustrated embodiment, thelateral surfaces 120 and 122 are substantially planar and have asubstantially orthogonal orientation with respect to the upper surface104 or the lower surface 106, although it is contemplated that thelateral surfaces 120 and 122 can be curved, inclined, stepped, orroughly textured for other implementations. Also, the lateral surfaces120 and 122 are substantially aligned or co-planar with the lateralsurfaces 142 and 144, respectively. More particularly, this alignment isaccomplished while allowing the connection surfaces S1 and S2 to beelectrically exposed, such as by reducing or minimizing coverage of theconnection surfaces S1 and S2 by the package body 114. For otherimplementations, it is contemplated that the shape of the lateralsurfaces 120 and 122 and their alignment with the lateral surfaces 142and 144 can be varied from that illustrated in FIG. 2, while allowingthe connection surfaces S1 and S2 to be at least partially electricallyexposed.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the package 100 further includes anEMI shield 124 that is disposed adjacent to the exterior surfaces of thepackage body 114, the connection surfaces S1 and S2 of the groundingelements 118 a and 118 b, and the lateral surfaces 142 and 144 of thesubstrate unit 102. The EMI shield 124 is formed from an electricallyconductive material, and substantially surrounds the semiconductordevices 108 a, 108 b, and 108 c within the package 100 to provideprotection against EMI. In the illustrated embodiment. the EMI shield124 includes an upper portion 126 and a lateral portion 128, whichextends around substantially the entire periphery of the package body114 and defines the orthogonal lateral profile of the package 100. Asillustrated in FIG. 2, the lateral portion 128 extends downwardly fromthe upper portion 126 and along the lateral surfaces 142 and 144 of thesubstrate unit 102, and includes a lower end that is substantiallyaligned or co-planar with the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit102. However, it is contemplated that the extent of the lateral portion128 and the alignment of its lower end with the lower surface 106 can bevaried for other implementations.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the EMI shield 124 is electrically connectedto the connection surfaces S1 and S2 of the grounding elements 118 a and118 b. When electromagnetic emissions radiated from an interior of thepackage 100 strike the EMI shield 124, at least a portion of theseemissions can be efficiently grounded via the grounding elements 118 aand 118 b, thereby reducing the level of emissions that can pass throughthe EMI shield 124 and adversely affect neighboring semiconductordevices. Similarly, when electromagnetic emissions from a neighboringsemiconductor device strike the EMI shield 124, a similar grounding canoccur to reduce EMI of the semiconductor devices 108 a, 108 b, and 108 cwithin the package 100. During operation, the package 100 can bedisposed on a printed circuit board (“PCB”) and electrically connectedto the PCB via the electrical contacts 110 a, 110 b, and 110 c. Aspreviously described, at least one of the electrical contacts 110 a, 110b, and 110 c is a ground electrical contact, and the ground electricalcontact can be electrically connected to a ground voltage provided bythe PCB. Grounding of electromagnetic emissions incident upon the EMIshield 124 can occur through an electrical pathway including thegrounding elements 118 a and 118 b, other electrical interconnectincluded in the substrate unit 102, and the ground electrical contact.Because the lower end of the EMI shield 124 is substantially alignedwith the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit 102, the lower end alsocan be electrically connected to a ground voltage provided by the PCB,thereby providing an alternative electrical pathway for groundingundesired electromagnetic emissions. Alternatively, or in conjunction,the lower via pad remnants 148 a and 148 b can be electrically connectedto a ground voltage provided by the PCB.

In the illustrated embodiment, the EMI shield 124 is a conformal shieldthat is formed as a set of layers or films. Advantageously, the EMIshield 124 can be formed adjacent to and in direct contact with anexterior of the package 100 without the use of an adhesive, therebyenhancing reliability and resistance to temperature, humidity, and otherenvironmental conditions. Also, the conformal characteristics of the EMIshield 124 allow similar EMI shields and similar manufacturingoperations to be readily applied to semiconductor device packages ofdifferent sizes and shapes, thereby reducing manufacturing cost and timeto accommodate the different packages. For certain implementations, athickness of the EMI shield 124 can be in the range of about 1 μm toabout 500 μm, such as from about 1 μm to about 100 μm, from about 1 μmto about 50 μm, or from about 1 μm to about 10 μm. Such reducedthickness of the EMI shield 124, relative to a typical casing, allows areduced overall package size, and is a further advantage of theillustrated embodiment.

Attention next turns to FIG. 3, which illustrates an enlarged,cross-sectional view of a portion of the package 100 of FIG. 1 and FIG.2. In particular. FIG. 3 illustrates a particular implementation of theEMI shield 124 that is disposed adjacent to the package body 114.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the EMI shield 124 is multi-layered andincludes an inner layer 300, which is disposed adjacent to the packagebody 114, and an outer layer 302, which is disposed adjacent to theinner layer 300 and is exposed at the exterior of the package 100. Ingeneral, each of the inner layer 300 and the outer layer 302 can beformed from a metal, a metal alloy, a matrix with a metal or a metalalloy dispersed therein, or another suitable electrically conductivematerial. For example, each of the inner layer 300 and the outer layer302 can be formed from aluminum, copper, chromium, tin, gold, silver,nickel, stainless steel, or a combination thereof. The inner layer 300and the outer layer 302 can be formed from the same electricallyconductive material or different electrically conductive materials. Forexample, a metal, such as nickel, can be selected for both the innerlayer 300 and the outer layer 302. In some instances, differentelectrically conductive materials can be selected for the inner layer300 and the outer layer 302 to provide complementary functionalities.For example, a metal with a higher electrical conductivity, such asaluminum, copper, gold, or silver, can be selected for the inner layer300 to provide EMI shielding functionality. On the other hand, a metalwith a somewhat lower electrical conductivity, such as nickel, can beselected for the outer layer 302 to protect the inner layer 300 againstoxidation, humidity, and other environmental conditions. In this case,the outer layer 302 also can contribute to the EMI shieldingfunctionality, while providing the protection functionality. While twolayers are illustrated in FIG. 3, it is contemplated that more or lesslayers can be included for other implementations.

FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicepackage 400 implemented in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention. Certain aspects of the package 400 are implemented in asimilar manner as previously described for the package 100 of FIG. 1through FIG. 3 and, thus, are not further described herein.

Referring to FIG. 4A, the package 400 includes grounding elements 418 aand 418 b, which are disposed substantially at the periphery of thesubstrate unit 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the groundingelements 418 a and 418 b are implemented as remnants of blind groundingvias that extend between the upper surface 104 of the substrate unit 102and an electrically conductive layer 452, which is disposed between theupper surface 104 and the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit 102and serves as an internal grounding layer. In particular, each of thegrounding elements 418 a and 418 b includes an upper via pad remnant 446a or 446 b, which is disposed adjacent to the upper surface 104 of thesubstrate unit 102, a lower via pad remnant 448 a or 448 b, which iselectrically connected to the electrically conductive layer 452 and isdisposed above and at a certain spacing apart from the lower surface 106of the substrate unit 102, and a plated channel remnant 450 a or 450 h,which extends between the upper via pad remnant 446 a or 446 b and thelower via pad remnant 448 a or 448 b. While the grounding elements 418 aand 418 b are illustrated as partially extending between the uppersurface 104 and the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit 102, it iscontemplated that the extent of the grounding elements 418 a and 418 bcan vary for other implementations. In the illustrated embodiment, thegrounding elements 418 a and 418 b include connection surfaces S1′ andS2′, respectively, which are electrically exposed adjacent to thelateral surfaces 142 and 144, respectively, Advantageously, therelatively large areas of the connection surfaces S1′ and S2′ canenhance reliability and efficiency of electrical connections forreducing EMI. For certain implementations, a height H₂ of the groundingelements 418 a and 418 b can be somewhat less than the thickness of thesubstrate unit 102, and can be in the range of about 0.1 mm to about 1.8mm, such as from about 0.2 mm to about 1 mm or from about 0.3 mm toabout 0.5 mm. A width W₂ of the grounding elements 418 a and 418 b,namely a lateral extent adjacent to the upper surface 104, can be in therange of about 75 μm to about 275 μm, such as from about 100 μm to about250 μm or from about 125 μm to about 225 μm.

As illustrated in FIG. 4A, the package 400 also includes a semiconductordevice 408 b, which is a semiconductor chip that is disposed adjacent tothe upper surface 104 of the substrate unit 102. In the illustratedembodiment, the semiconductor device 408 b is flip chip-bonded to thesubstrate unit 102. such as via a set of solder bumps. It iscontemplated that the semiconductor device 408 b can be electricallyconnected to the substrate unit 102 in another manner, such as bywire-bonding.

FIG. 4B illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicepackage 460 implemented in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention. Certain aspects of the package 460 are implemented in asimilar manner as previously described for the package 100 of FIG. 1through FIG. 3 and the package 400 of FIG. 4A and, thus, are not furtherdescribed herein.

Referring to FIG. 4B, the package 460 includes grounding elements 462 aand 462 b, which are disposed substantially at the periphery of thesubstrate unit 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the groundingelements 462 a and 462 b are implemented as remnants of blind groundingvias that extend between the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit 102and an electrically conductive layer 464, which is disposed between theupper surface 104 and the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit 102and serves as an internal grounding layer. In particular, each of thegrounding elements 462 a and 462 b includes an upper via pad remnant 466a or 466 b, which is electrically connected to the electricallyconductive layer 464 and is disposed below and at a certain spacingapart from the upper surface 104 of the substrate unit 102, a lower viapad remnant 468 a or 468 b, which is disposed adjacent to the lowersurface 106 of the substrate unit 102, and a plated channel remnant 470a or 470 b, which extends between the upper via pad remnant 466 a or 466b and the lower via pad remnant 468 a or 468 b. Advantageously, thepositioning of the grounding elements 462 a and 462 b below the uppersurface 104 of the substrate unit 102 conserves valuable area of theupper surface 104 that would otherwise be taken up for EMI shieldingfunctionality, and, in turn, allows a reduced overall package size byreducing or minimizing a footprint area of the package 460. However, itis contemplated that the positioning and extent of the groundingelements 462 a and 462 b can vary for other implementations. In theillustrated embodiment, the grounding elements 462 a and 462 b includeconnection surfaces S1″ and S2″, respectively, which are electricallyexposed adjacent to the lateral surfaces 142 and 144, respectively.Advantageously, the relatively large areas of the connection surfacesS1″ and S2″ can enhance reliability and efficiency of electricalconnections for reducing EMI, while achieving the goal of a reducedoverall package size. For certain implementations, a height H_(B) of thegrounding elements 462 a and 462 b can be somewhat less than thethickness of the substrate unit 102, and can be in the range of about0.1 mm to about 1.8 mm, such as from about 0.2 mm to about 1 mm or fromabout 0.3 mm to about 0.5 min. A width W_(B) of the grounding elements462 a and 462 b, namely a lateral extent adjacent to the lower surface106, can be in the range of about 75 μm to about 275 μm, such as fromabout 100 μm to about 250 μm or from about 125 μm to about 225 μm.

FIG. 4C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor devicepackage 480 implemented in accordance with another embodiment of theinvention. Certain aspects of the package 480 are implemented in asimilar manner as previously described for the package 100 of FIG. 1through FIG. 3, the package 400 of FIG. 4A, and the package 460 of FIG.4B and, thus, are not further described herein.

Referring to FIG. 4C, the package 480 includes grounding elements 482 aand 482 b. which are disposed substantially at the periphery of thesubstrate unit 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the groundingelements 482 a and 482 b are implemented as remnants of buried orinternal grounding vias that extend between a pair of electricallyconductive layers 484 a and 484 b, which are disposed between the uppersurface 104 and the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit 102 andserve as a pair of internal grounding layers. In particular, each of thegrounding elements 482 a and 482 b includes an upper via pad remnant 486a or 486 b, which is electrically connected to the electricallyconductive layer 484 a and is disposed below and at a certain spacingapart from the upper surface 104 of the substrate unit 102, a lower viapad remnant 488 a or 488 b, which is electrically connected to theelectrically conductive layer 484 b and is disposed above and at acertain spacing apart from the lower surface 106 of the substrate unit102, and a plated channel remnant 490 a or 490 b, which extends betweenthe upper via pad remnant 486 a or 486 b and the lower via pad remnant488 a or 488 b. Advantageously, the positioning of the groundingelements 482 a and 482 b between the upper surface 104 and the lowersurface 106 of the substrate unit 102 conserves valuable area of boththe upper surface 104 and the lower surface 106 that would otherwise betaken up for EMI shielding functionality, and, in turn, allows a reducedoverall package size by reducing or minimizing a footprint area of thepackage 480. However, it is contemplated that the positioning and extentof the grounding elements 482 a and 482 b can vary for otherimplementations. In the illustrated embodiment, the grounding elements482 a and 482 b include connection surfaces S1′″ and S2′″, respectively,which are electrically exposed adjacent to the lateral surfaces 142 and144, respectively. Advantageously, the relatively large areas of theconnection surfaces S1′″ and S2′″ can enhance reliability and efficiencyof electrical connections for reducing EMI, while achieving the goal ofa reduced overall package size. For certain implementations, a heightH_(C) of the grounding elements 482 a and 482 b can be somewhat lessthan the thickness of the substrate unit 102, and can be in the range ofabout 0.1 mm to about 1.6 mm, such as from about 0.2 mm to about 0.8 mmor from about 0.2 mm to about 0.4 mm. A width W_(C) of the groundingelements 482 a and 482 b, namely a lateral extent adjacent to theelectrically conductive layer 484 a or 484 b, can be in the range ofabout 75 μm to about 275 μm, such as from about 100 μm to about 250 μmor from about 125 μm to about 225 μm.

FIG. 5A through FIG. 5E illustrate a method of forming a semiconductordevice package, according to an embodiment of the invention. For ease ofpresentation, the following manufacturing operations are described withreference to the package 100 of FIG. 1 through FIG. 3. However, it iscontemplated that the manufacturing operations can be similarly carriedout to form other semiconductor device packages, such as the package 400of FIG. 4A, the package 460 of FIG. 4B, and the package 480 of FIG. 4C.

Referring first to FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, a substrate 500 is provided. Toenhance manufacturing throughput, the substrate 500 includes multiplesubstrate units, including the substrate unit 102 and an adjacentsubstrate unit 102′, thereby allowing certain of the manufacturingoperations to be readily performed in parallel or sequentially. Thesubstrate 500 can be implemented in a strip manner, in which themultiple substrate units are arranged sequentially in a linear fashion,or in an array manner, in which the multiple substrate units arearranged in a two-dimensional fashion. For case of presentation, thefollowing manufacturing operations are primarily described withreference to the substrate unit 102 and related components, although themanufacturing operations can be similarly carried for other substrateunits and related components.

As illustrated in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B, multiple grounding vias aredisposed adjacent to a periphery of each substrate unit. In particular,grounding vias 502 a, 502 b, 502 c, 502 d, and 502 e are disposedadjacent to sides of the substrate unit 102. In the illustratedembodiment, each grounding via includes an upper via pad, such as anupper via pad 546 a or 546 b, a lower via pad, such as a lower via pad548 a or 548 b, and a plated channel, such as a plated channel 550 a or550 b. The grounding vias 502 a, 502 b, 502 c, 502 d, and 502 e can beformed in any of a number of ways, such as photolithography, chemicaletching, laser drilling, or mechanical drilling to form openings, alongwith plating of the openings using a metal, a metal alloy, a matrix witha metal or a metal alloy dispersed therein, or another suitableelectrically conductive material. For certain implementations, anelectrically conductive material can be applied to and drawn into theopenings so as to substantially fill the openings with the electricallyconductive material. For example, the electrically conductive materialcan include a metal, such as copper, a solder, such as any of a numberof fusible metal alloys having melting points in the range of about 90°C. to about 450° C., or an electrically conductive adhesive, such as anyof a number of resins having an electrically conductive filler dispersedtherein. Filling the openings can yield larger areas for resultingconnection surfaces, thereby further enhancing reliability andefficiency of electrical connections for reducing EMI. While thegrounding vias 502 a, 502 b, 502 c, 502 d. and 502 e are illustrated asfully extending between an upper surface 504 and a lower surface 524 ofthe substrate 500, it is contemplated that the extent of the groundingvias 502 a, 502 b, 502 c, 502 d, and 502 e can vary for otherimplementations. For example, it is contemplated that at least one ofthe grounding vias 502 a, 502 b, 502 e, 502 d, and 502 e can beimplemented as a blind grounding via or an internal grounding via.

In the illustrated embodiment, a via pad, such as the upper via pad 546a or 546 b, has an annular shape, and a plated channel, such as theplated channel 550 a or 550 b, is shaped in the form of a circularcylinder, including a substantially circular cross-section. It iscontemplated that the shapes of a via pad and a plated channel, ingeneral, can be any of a number of shapes. For example, a plated channelcan have another type of cylindrical shape, such as an ellipticcylindrical shape, a square cylindrical shape, or a rectangularcylindrical shape, or can have a non-cylindrical shape, such as a cone,a funnel, or another tapered shape. It is also contemplated that lateralboundaries of a plated channel can be curved or roughly textured. Forcertain implementations, a lateral extent W₃ of each plated channel(also sometimes referred to as a via size) can be in the range of about50 μm to about 350 μm, such as from about 100 μm to about 300 μm or fromabout 150 μm to about 250 μm, while a lateral extent W₄ of each via pad(also sometimes referred to as a via pad size) can be in the range ofabout 150 μm to about 550 μm, such as from about 200 μm to about 500 μmor from about 250 μm to about 450 μm. If a plated channel or a via padhas a non-uniform shape, the lateral extent W₃ or W₄ can correspond to,for example, an average of lateral extents along orthogonal directions.

To enhance reliability and efficiency of electrical connections forreducing EMI, grounding vias are disposed adjacent to all four sides ofeach substrate unit, although the grounding vias also can be disposedadjacent to a subset of the four sides. It is also contemplated thatgrounding vias can be disposed adjacent to all four corners of eachsubstrate unit or a subset of the four corners. For certainimplementations, a spacing L₁ of nearest-neighbor grounding vias of asubstrate unit (also sometimes referred to as a via pitch) can be in therange of about 0.1 mm to about 3 mm, such as from about 0.2 mm to about2 mm or from about 0.5 mm to about 1.5 mm. Referring to FIG. 5B, adashed boundary within each substrate unit defines a “keep-out” portion,within which semiconductor devices are disposed. To reduce or minimizeadverse impact on the operation of semiconductor devices, grounding viasof a substrate unit can be spaced apart from the “keep-out” portion by aspacing L₂ (also sometimes referred to as a “keep-out” distance). Forcertain implementations, the spacing L₂ can be in the range of about 50μm to about 300 μm, such as from about 50 μm to about 200 μm or fromabout 100 μm to about 150 μm, It is contemplated that the number ofgrounding vias and their positioning within the substrate 500 can varyfrom that illustrated in FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B. It is also contemplatedthat multiple rows of grounding vias can be disposed adjacent to aperiphery of each substrate unit. It is further contemplated that thespacing L₂ need not be allocated in the case of blind grounding vias,which are disposed below the upper surface 504, or in the case ofinternal grounding vias. In particular, such blind or internal groundingvias can be partially or fully disposed within the “keep-out” portionand below semiconductor devices, so as to reduce or minimize adverseimpact on the operation of the semiconductor devices while achieving thegoal of a reduced overall package size.

Once the substrate 500 is provided, the semiconductor devices 108 a, 108b, and 108 c are disposed adjacent to the upper surface 504 of thesubstrate 500, and are electrically connected to the substrate unit 102.In particular, the semiconductor device 108 b is wire-bonded to thesubstrate unit 102 via the wires 112, and the semiconductor devices 108a and 108 c are surface mounted to the substrate unit 102. Referring toFIG. 5A, the lower surface 524 of the substrate 500 is disposed adjacentto a tape 506, which can be implemented as a single-sided ordouble-sided adhesive tape. Advantageously, the tape 506 secures thesubstrate unit 102 with respect to adjacent substrate units, and allowsvarious subsequent operations to be carried out with those componentsdisposed adjacent to the tape 506, without requiring inversion ortransfer to a separate carrier.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5C, a molding material 514 is applied tothe upper surface 504 of the substrate 500 so as to substantially coveror encapsulate the grounding vias 502 a and 502 b, the semiconductordevices 108 a, 108 b, and 108 c, and the wires 112. The molding material514 can include, for example, a Novolac-based resin, an epoxy-basedresin, a silicone-based resin, or another suitable encapsulant. Suitablefillers also can be included, such as powdered SiO₂. The moldingmaterial 514 can be applied using any of a number of molding techniques,such as compression molding, injection molding, and transfer molding.Once applied, the molding material 514 is hardened or solidified, suchas by lowering the temperature to below a melting point of the moldingmaterial 514, thereby forming a molded structure 526. To facilitateproper positioning of the substrate 500 during subsequent singulationoperations, fiducial marks can be formed in the molded structure 526,such as using laser marking. Alternatively, or in conjunction, fiducialmarks can be formed adjacent to a periphery of the substrate 500.

Singulation is next carried out with respect to an upper surface 516 ofthe molded structure 526. Such manner of singulation can be referred toas “front-side” singulation. Referring to FIG. 5C and FIG. 5D, the“front-side” singulation is carried out using a saw 518, which formscutting slits, including cutting slits 520 a and 520 b. In particular,the cutting slits 520 a and 520 b extend downwardly and completelythrough the molded structure 526 and the substrate 500 and partiallythrough the tape 506, thereby sub-dividing the molded structure 526 andthe substrate 500 into discrete units, including the package body 114and the substrate unit 102. Such manner of singulation can be referredto as “full-cut” singulation, since sub-division of the molded structure526 and the substrate 500 at each of various locations can occur throughone singulation operation, rather than multiple singulation operations,such as multiple “half-cut” singulations. Advantageously, the use of“full-cut” singulation, rather than “half-cut” singulation, enhancesmanufacturing throughput by reducing the number of singulationoperations and the time involved for those operations. Also,manufacturing cost is reduced by enhancing an utilization ratio of thesubstrate 500, and an overall yield rate is enhanced by reducing theprobability of defects resulting from sawing errors. As illustrated inFIG. 5D, the tape 506 secures the substrate unit 102 and the packagebody 114 with respect to adjacent substrate units and package bodiesduring the “full-cut” singulation.

Still referring to FIG. 5D, the saw 518 is laterally positioned andsubstantially aligned with each grounding via, such that a resultingcutting slit removes a certain volume or weight percentage of thegrounding via, such as from about 10 percent to about 90 percent, fromabout 30 percent to about 70 percent, or from about 40 percent to about60 percent by volume or by weight. In such manner, the groundingelements 118 a and 118 b are formed and include the connection surfacesS1 and S2, respectively, which are exposed to the surroundings at theperiphery of the substrate unit 102. The alignment of the saw 518 duringsingulation can be aided by fiducial marks, which allow properpositioning of the saw 518 when forming the cutting slits 520 a and 520b. For certain implementations, a width C₁ of each of the cutting slits520 a and 520 b (also sometimes referred to as a full-cut width orfull-cut sawing street) can be in the range of about 100 μm to about 600μm, such as from about 200 μm to about 400 μm or from about 250 μm toabout 350 μm.

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 5E, an EMI coating 522 is formed adjacentto exposed surfaces, including the exterior surfaces of the package body114, the connection surfaces S1 and S2 of the grounding elements 118 aand 118 b, and the lateral surfaces 142 and 144 of the substrate unit102. The EMI coating 522 can be formed using any of a number of coatingtechniques, such as chemical vapor deposition, electroless plating,electrolytic plating, printing, spraying, sputtering, and vacuumdeposition. For example, the EMI coating 522 can include a single layerthat is formed from nickel using electroless plating and with athickness of at least about 5 μm, such as from about 5 μm to about 50 μmor from about 5 μm to about 10 μm. If the EMI coating 522 ismulti-layered, different layers can be formed using the same coatingtechnique or different coating techniques. For example, an inner layercan be formed from copper using electroless plating, and an outer layercan be formed from nickel using either electroless plating orelectrolytic plating. As another example, an inner layer (serving as abase layer) can be formed from copper using either sputtering orelectroless plating and with a thickness of at least about 1 μm, such asfrom about 1 μm to about 50 μm or from about 1 μm to about 10 μm, and anouter layer (serving as an anti-oxidation layer) can be formed fromstainless steel, nickel, or copper using sputtering and with a thicknessno greater than about 1 μm, such as from about 0.01 μm to about 1 μm orfrom about 0.01 μm to about 0.1 μm. In these examples, surfaces to whichthe EMI coating 522 is applied can be subjected to certain pre-treatmentoperations to facilitate formation of the inner layer and the outerlayer. Examples of such pre-treatment operations include surfaceroughening, such as by chemical etching or mechanical abrasion, andformation of a seed layer. Separating the substrate unit 102 and relatedcomponents from the tape 506, such as using a pick-and-place technique,results in the package 100 including the EMI shield 124.

FIG. 6 illustrates a method of forming a semiconductor device package,according to another embodiment of the invention. For ease ofpresentation, the following manufacturing operations are described withreference to the package 400 of FIG. 4A. However, it is contemplatedthat the manufacturing operations can be similarly carried out to formother semiconductor device packages, such as the package 100 of FIG. 1through FIG. 3, the package 460 of FIG. 4B, and the package 480 of FIG.4C. Also, certain aspects of the manufacturing operations areimplemented in a similar manner as previously described for FIG. 5Athrough FIG. 5E and, thus, are not further described herein.

Referring to FIG. 6, a substrate 600 along with a hardened moldingmaterial 614 are disposed adjacent to a tape 606, which can beimplemented as a single-sided or double-sided adhesive tape. Singulationis next carried out with respect to an upper surface 616 of the hardenedmolding material 614. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the singulation iscarried out using a saw 618, which forms cutting slits 620 a and 620 bthat extend downwardly and completely through the hardened moldingmaterial 614 and the substrate 600 and partially through the tape 606,thereby sub-dividing the hardened molding material 614 and the substrate600 into discrete units, including the package body 114 and thesubstrate unit 102. In particular, the saw 618 is laterally positionedand substantially aligned with each grounding via, such that a resultingcutting slit sub-divides the grounding via into two grounding elementsthat are separated from one another and are disposed adjacent torespective substrate units. In such manner, the grounding elements 418 aand 418 b are formed and include the connection surfaces S1′ and S2′,respectively, which are exposed to the surroundings at the periphery ofthe substrate unit 102. Advantageously, the manner of singulationillustrated in FIG. 6 enhances manufacturing throughput by furtherreducing the number of singulation operations and the time involved forthose operations, reduces manufacturing cost by further enhancing anutilization ratio of the substrate 600, and enhances an overall yieldrate by further reducing the probability of defects resulting fromsawing errors. For certain implementations, a via size W₅ of eachgrounding via can be in the range of about 100 μm to about 700 μm, suchas from about 200 μm to about 600 μm or from about 300 μm to about 500μm, while a via pad size W₆ of each grounding via can be in the range ofabout 300 μm to about 1,100 μm, such as from about 400 μm to about 1,000μm or from about 500 μm to about 900 μm. A width C₂ each of the cuttingslits 620 a and 620 b can be substantially the same as the width C₁previously described above with reference to FIG. 5D, and can be in therange of about 100 μm to about 600 μm, such as from about 200 μm toabout 400 μm or from about 250 μm to about 350 μm. However, it iscontemplated that the width C₂ can vary for other implementations, andcan be adjusted relative to the via size W₅ or the via pad size W₆ of agrounding via to allow its sub-division into multiple groundingelements. For example, the width C₂, in general, can be represented as:C₂<W₅<W₆.

While the invention has been described with reference to the specificembodiments thereof, it should he understood by those skilled in the artthat various changes may be made and equivalents may he substitutedwithout departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims. In addition, many modifications may bemade to adapt a particular situation, material, composition of matter,method, or process to the objective, spirit and scope of the invention.All such modifications are intended to be within the scope of the claimsappended hereto. In particular, while the methods disclosed herein havebeen described with reference to particular operations performed in aparticular order, it will be understood that these operations may becombined, sub-divided, or re-ordered to form an equivalent methodwithout departing from the teachings of the invention. Accordingly,unless specifically indicated herein, the order and grouping of theoperations are not limitations of the invention.

1.-20. (canceled)
 21. A semiconductor device package, comprising: asubstrate including an upper surface, a lower surface, a lateral surfacedisposed adjacent a periphery of the substrate and extending between theupper surface and the lower surface of the substrate, and a groundingelement disposed adjacent the periphery of the substrate, the groundingelement being electrically connected to a grounding electricalinterconnect in the substrate, being electrically exposed adjacent thelateral surface of the substrate, and partially extending between theupper surface and the lower surface of the substrate, such that a heightof the grounding element is less than a thickness of the substrate; apackage body disposed adjacent the upper surface of the substrate, thepackage body including exterior surfaces that include a lateral surface,the lateral surface of the package body being substantially coplanarwith the lateral surface of the substrate; and an electromagneticinterference shield disposed adjacent the exterior surfaces of thepackage body and electrically connected to the grounding element. 22.The semiconductor device package of claim 21, wherein the substrateincludes a pair of internal grounding layers, and the grounding elementextends between the pair of internal grounding layers.
 23. Thesemiconductor device package of claim 21, wherein the grounding elementcomprises a partial via.
 24. The semiconductor device package of claim23, wherein the partial via is semi-cylindrical.
 25. The semiconductordevice package of claim 21, wherein the grounding element furthercomprises a partial upper via pad and a partial lower via pad.
 26. Thesemiconductor device package of claim 25, further comprising a partialvia disposed between the upper and lower via pads.
 27. The semiconductordevice package of claim 21, wherein the electromagnetic interferenceshield includes a lateral portion that extends along the lateral surfaceof the substrate.
 28. The semiconductor device package of claim 27,wherein a lower end of the lateral portion is substantially aligned withthe lower surface of the substrate.
 29. A semiconductor device package,comprising: a substrate including a first surface, a second oppositesurface, an electrically conductive layer disposed between the firstsurface and the second surface of the substrate, and a grounding elementextending between the electrically conductive layer and one of the firstand second surfaces of the substrate, the grounding element including afirst end, a second end, and a lateral surface, the first end beingdisposed between the first and second surfaces of the substrate andbeing spaced apart therefrom, the second end being disposed adjacent oneof the first and second surfaces of the substrate, the lateral surfacebeing disposed adjacent a periphery of the substrate; a package bodydisposed adjacent the substrate, the package body including exteriorsurfaces; and an electromagnetic interference shield disposed adjacentthe exterior surfaces of the package body and electrically connected tothe lateral surface of the grounding element.
 30. The semiconductordevice package of claim 29, wherein the substrate further includes alateral surface extending between the first and second surfaces of thesubstrate, the lateral surface of the substrate being substantiallyplanar and substantially orthogonal to the second surface of thesubstrate, and the lateral surface of the grounding element iselectrically exposed adjacent the lateral surface of the substrate. 31.The semiconductor device package of claim 29, wherein the groundingelement comprises a partial via.
 32. The semiconductor device package ofclaim 31, wherein the partial via is semi-cylindrical.
 33. Thesemiconductor device package of claim 29, wherein the grounding elementfurther comprises a partial upper via pad and a partial lower via pad.34. The semiconductor device package of claim 33, further comprising apartial via disposed between the partial upper and lower via pads. 35.The semiconductor device package of claim 29, wherein theelectromagnetic interference shield is a conformal shield that includesa first layer and a second layer disposed adjacent the first layer, andthe first layer and the second layer comprise different electricallyconductive materials.
 36. A method of forming a semiconductor devicepackage, comprising: providing a substrate including an upper surface, alower surface, and grounding elements partially extending between theupper surface and the lower surface of the substrate, such that a heightof each of the grounding elements is less than a thickness of thesubstrate; electrically connecting a semiconductor device to the uppersurface of the substrate, applying a molding material to the uppersurface of the substrate to form a molded structure covering thesemiconductor device; forming openings fully extending through themolded structure and the substrate, such that the substrate issub-divided into separate substrate units, and the molded structure issub-divided into separate package bodies disposed adjacent respectiveones of the substrate units, each of the package bodies includesexterior surfaces, each of the package bodies includes the groundingelements disposed adjacent a periphery of its substrate unit, and eachof the grounding elements includes an exposed connection surface; andapplying an electromagnetic interference coating to the exteriorsurfaces of the package body and the connection surfaces of thegrounding elements to form an electromagnetic interference shield. 37.The method of claim 36, further comprising securing the lower surface ofthe substrate to a tape, and wherein the openings extend into the tape.38. The method of claim 36, wherein each substrate unit includes alateral surface, the exterior surfaces of each package body include alateral surface, and forming the openings results in the lateral surfaceof each package body being substantially aligned with the lateralsurface of its corresponding substrate unit.
 39. The method of claim 36,wherein forming the openings creates partial vias that comprise thegrounding elements.
 40. The method of claim 39, wherein the partial viasextend between a partial upper via pad and a partial lower via pad, thepartial via pads including portions that are coplanar with the partialvias.